Windows 8, Microsoft's upcoming successor to Windows 7, will launch in 2012 according to a leak from Microsoft Netherlands. (Source: Oxenti)

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer insists that Windows 8 is his company's riskiest product, riskier even that its smart phone efforts. He would not say why, though. (Source: Associated Press)

Microsoft tries to follow up its fastest selling operating system of all time

Windows
7 still has a ways to become the world's best selling operating
system of all time, but it has already earned the distinction of
being the fastest
selling operating system ever. That's a tough act to follow
for Microsoft which is looking forward to its
next operating system, even as it works on new Windows 7 updates
and finishes phasing out Windows XP (which coincidentally was the
best-selling OS of all time).

Some news has leaked out about
the new operating system, which is rumored to be dubbed "Windows
8". The first piece of news comes courtesy of Microsoft
Netherlands, which posted the
following announcement (translated using Google):

The
phasing out of Windows XP, Microsoft is nearing completion. In
July 2010, the support for Windows XP with Service Pack 2
stops. Today Microsoft will stop selling Windows XP to PC
manufacturers and the aftermarket sales of Windows Vista. For
Windows 7, Microsoft Service Pack 1. This service pack is still
in the testing phase and is expected in the first half of next year
available.The first update of Windows 7 is the new version of Windows
Live Essentials (explore.live.com) became available in
mid-June. Furthermore,
Microsoft is of course the next version of Windows. But it will take
about two years before "Windows 8 on the market. The
latest news about Windows is available at www.windows.nl
/ blog

The
bolded sentence, according
to Microsoft blog Windows
8 Beta, was
in the article. Microsoft appears to have swiftly removed it,
and visiting the article on Monday, that sentence was no longer
there.

A launch two years from now would place Windows 8 as
launching in 2012. Previously it was rumored that the operating
system could launch as early as next year (2011). It is still
possible that Microsoft might get to testing the upcoming OS during
next year. And it's also possible that unintentional release of
information was inaccurate.

More reliable, but more puzzling
were comments by Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer on Windows
8. Speaking to reporters at the Gartner Symposium, the
outspoken executive reportedly called the upcoming OS the "riskiest"
upcoming product from his company. He failed to
elaborate on what he meant by that.

One
possibility could be a switch to a cloud-based operating system.
Microsoft has dabbled in cloud OS's with its Azure
OS. And Google's first personal computer operating
system, Chrome
OS, set to debut late this year or early next is a cloud-based OS
as well. Another possibility is perhaps an effort to
consolidate software viability via a Windows Software Store (or
something of that nature). Apple made a similar move with its
announcement that the App Store would soon vend
Mac apps.